LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - 5/19/2014

Editor: Have you noted how often the word “folks” is used in politics? Too often at both ends of Washington’s Pennsylvania Avenue the term replaces “we, the people” uttered by the nation’s founders.

Well, “people,” pay attention! In November you get to choose who will represent you from Harrisburg to Washington. It’s a prelude to electing a new president and Congress in 2016.

The media will report the latest public opinion polls, how much money is being raised and spent by whom, and which well-heeled benefactors are helping them. Regrettably the run-up to important fall elections is often more about raising money, and dissecting the latest public opinion polls, than covering in-depth the tough issues that divide and confuse “folks.”

So enjoy summer but get ready. As the 2014 campaign unfolds, pay more attention to the candidates’ substance of thought rather than their costly advertising. What they say or avoid stating may hurt you big time down the road.

HERB LINNEN

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Beats broom

Editor: As I see it, our democracy has one flaw that could never have been foreseen by our founding fathers. In all it’s a wonder it was left without one option that would help us today. I’ll call it the “flush” option.

Every November the ballot would contain this option. When the vote for a “flush” reaches a level of 75 percent or higher nationwide the federal government, including the Supreme Court, gets “flushed” and new elections take place. Politicians can remain in office until the new vote takes place but they cannot put their hats in the ring for re-election.

If politicians were faced with a real possibility of an entire government change via the will of the people they would tend to be less narrow-minded in their Washington ways.

Though we do have elections now that offer the people the choice of who runs the country, our choices are almost always bad and worse. This is because there is no recourse for us. It gives us the feeling that no matter what we do we’re in trouble. It causes people to stay away from voting because they don’t like any of the available options. It produces apathy because after years of the same old, people just throw up their arms in disgust.

I know I’m wishing on a very faint star but I hope one day we the people have the ability to wipe clean the slate that is Washington (and state) politics and be able to start fresh. Faced with this option the politicians will think more about the people and less about their pocketbooks.

RANDY CIZENSKI

JESSUP

Alternatives

Editor: What if they held an election and no one showed up to vote? Wouldn’t that be the most pacifistic form of revolt against the system you could have? They would get it, though.

Another thought: Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans ever have the slightest inclination of voting against their party line. This pretty much means nothing gets done that might actually benefit the people.

Why not scrap the whole party thing, and just have one American citizen run against another American citizen? The winner would not be beholden to any party and could just do the work of the people and for the people.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but if you think marriage should be a refuge for homosexual activity, in other words, if you believe in same-sex marriage, and you also believe in one creator, that’s deism (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

If, however, you are practicing one of the four Abrahamic monotheistic religions, and support same-sex marriage, you are theologically, philosophically and historically challenged. You’re confused.

You’ve also made your choice. In direct defiance of the clear-cut unambiguous word of Scripture, you’ve replaced the God of Revelation with your opinion, your politics or your ego. You’ve made the trend your God.

Whether you claim you’ve evolved on the issue like Biden, or your religion merely “informs” you but your public policies don’t reflect its basic tenets like Sen. Bob Casey, or, like state Attorney General Kathleen Kane, you claim it’s a “civil rights” issue (when no civil rights issues ever pertained to behavior, but status), then it’s time to take the honorable action and own up to deism.

Biden, Casey and Kane should step up to the plate and be people of character, of backbone. They should clear the air and admit that they are not Christians who intellectually changed their view but rather they are deists who believe in some Christian principles.

This is a big difference. They’ve mocked Catholicism; now rectify it. We Christians/Catholics, who feel insulted by their brashness, are waiting. After all, people shouldn’t be intolerant of us because of our religious orientation; certain portions of our brains light up when we honor God, if you get the drift.

TERRY SWEENEY

SCRANTON

Insane experiment

Editor: The founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, declared that this state would be a holy experiment, a place where people would strive to live up to the high standards of God. We are now on the verge of entering into an unholy experiment.

As the court prepares to decide the lawsuit against the Defense of Marriage Act, there is a possibility that we will enter an experiment to see if God will allow his creations to redefine what he established as marriage.

The new pretend marriages where one person pretends to be the husband and the other pretends to be the wife is a direct challenge to the authority of God in our state and nation. Judge John Jones, who will be hearing the case, already has demonstrated a lack of fear of God in his decision-making. He was the judge who declared it unconstitutional to even mention God as our creator in the science classrooms of the public schools in this state.

Since the highest principle of America’s greatness is found in the statement that, “all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights,” this decision undermines the reason for our existence.

When a group of people decides to stand against the purposes of God, the outcome is obvious. Jesus declared that his second coming will happen when people are living the way they were in the days of Noah and the days of Lot and Sodom. This is not an experiment that any sane society should accept.

REV. GLEN BAYLY

MIFFLINBURG,

UNION COUNTY

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.